standard film crew rates

director Alfred Hitchcock. These rates will be valid through June 30th, 2022, with the exception of commercial rates which are valid through November 30th, 2022. I have seen a lot of producers trying to hire film crew in Los Angeles for sub-standard rates so I got the idea to compile together a list of rates based on discussions that Ive seen in various private online groups. Whether youre making a feature or a commercial, one of the first decisions a producer must make is whether or not youre going to cast SAG actors. Feature films, television shows, commercials, and new media all operate under slightly different regulations. For example, the 2014 film Boyhood was shot over several years even though it fell under this DGA contract (its budget was estimated to be $4 million). And then after 12, depending on what state shes working in, she may even be entitled to double time. Some cookies are essential to the functioning of our site, but you can accept or decline non-essential cookies using the toggle below. Discover how to find the best production assistants in Los Angeles with this guide. Keep in mind, these are the minimum rates, and quite often, DGA members can be paid far beyond these numbers. Understanding SAG rates can be a tricky endeavor for even the most veteran of producers. To clarify, lets return to Kenny for an illustration. For network shows, producers should plan to budget an additional 15 percent. Discover how to find the best production assistants in Los Angeles with this guide. Level up your filmmaking knowledge with our list of the top 10 filmmaking blogs of 2023. A guide to understanding when its time to incorporate your photo business, and how to do it. Well go over all that in our next installment. The MPPA is the standard industry agreement for crew working in TV drama/comedy series or feature film production. Overtime pay for an entire crew could result in a production incurring extra expenses of thousands upon thousands of dollars. I charge $1000 a day + per diem. The SAG Low Budget Agreement applies to films with budgets between $700,000 and $2,000,000, making this the SAG pay scale of most independent films. Kit fee is additional. We begin by negotiating the expected length of Kennys workday. Such valuable information. know the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees. If you cant pay your crew make sure to pay their expenses so they are not out of pocket. Professional filmmakers definitely arent paid like Kenny. Its part of the reason why directors get executive producer credit on shows when they direct the pilot. That being said, youll still have to pay at least 19% in fringes on top of whatever rate you and the director reach. Day rates are simply a method of calculating an employee's rate of pay for each day of work. $1,200-$1,800 (more, depending on the experience/skill). You can read the bills full text here, but the basic point of AB-5 is to protect workers by making it more difficult for employers to deny them benefits via a contractor classification. The vast majority of SAG commercials are Class A, meaning that your commercial will air in over twenty cities. Usually in the $800/10 range. And wrapping your head around something called The Netcode can get complicated fast. Lets just say its unlikely youll be paying flat day rates anytime soon. Directing usually $510kUSD per job flatrate [sic] not including post. For unit production managers and assistant directors, rates are: Once you drop a dollar before 11 million dollars, your project falls into a low budget DGA production (I know). Though, it is best practice and highly suggested to stick to what is contractually agreed. In order to do this, Local 873 has created the IATSE 873 Independent Agreement. Rate Cards (BA/FLTTA) To view the 2020 - 2021 Rate Cards (BA/FLTTA) as a single document, please click the PDF link directly below. Instead, please see basic. SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022, so day rate stays with a preferred minimum at $216. These terms typically require several work credits and a certain number of hours on a film set. Sometimes a 1015% (or more) of budget. Click on any section in the Table of Contents to jump to that section. Union-mandated rates may shift according to the city that youre shooting in, due to both local labor laws and the influence of local union chapters. Twenty-four? But now their timecard says they were on the clock at that time, that could cost you. Instead, for films with budgets between 2.6 and 3.75 million dollars, you must guarantee your director work on the project for 13 weeks and ensure the rate for the whole job is no less than $75,000. While the DGA Rate Card refers to dramatic programs, there isnt a separate rate card for comedies. UK. Oops! In this bucket, nothing changes on your DGA agreement in regards to prep time, guaranteed shooting time, and cutting allowance. While this agreement may seem like it perfectly applies to your film, its important to note that you need to release your film initially in theaters to qualify. Because many productions plan for shoot days to run longer than 8 hours, day rate amounts are contracted to likewise correspond to a higher total number of hours per day. Cast and Crew. As with anything related to SAG, when in doubt, you should always defer to their organizations website. In the market for a good PA? Eight? WebVideography Full Day Rate $700.00 Up to 8 hours of setup and/or prod. Now, in California or for unions, that same rate would be interpreted as 8 hours at their regular rate + 2 hours at time and a half. Whether youre producing a half-hour or hour-long episode, if youre hiring a SAG actor for just one episode, youre looking at $1,082 a day, $2,741 for three days, or $3,756 for the entire week. Your preferences have been updated. However, calculating your SAG rates for TV is by far the most confusing. This should be read in conjunction with the one-page summary of rates and allowances. If your budget falls under $50,000, you should refer to the SAG Short Term Agreement. SAG has not updated anything beyond July, 2022 so it stays at $703. Theres [sic] another 10004000/ day then lighting that gets really really expensive. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances. Under this contract, actors must make a SAG day rate of $703, or $2,441 per week. The P&H rate for background actors is 20%. Dramatic still means scripted narrative. The first step in calculating an employees hourly rate is figuring out how many hours make up the day in their so-called day rate. Dramatic, here, simply means a scripted narrative show versus reality. UPMs and AD rates vary whether its a level 2 ($2.6MM - $1.1MM) or level 1B ($500K - $1.1MM) project. Incredibly grateful for Film Budgeteers. Tier 1.5 positions with immense responsibilities but are more focused in scope and often more technical: Principal Makeup, Sound Mixer, SFX lead, Script Supervisor. This is based on the 20% of the basic agreements day rate. With all the details planned out we are finally ready for We send our own production crew to Wrapbook document.write(new Date().getFullYear()). Tier 3.5 Production assistants learning the trade. Once thats settled, we get to do some math. Animator!3! DGA rates depend on the type of production youre producing, your schedule, as well as your budget. 1500/10 excluding OT. Its not only vital to the success and morale of the film, its the professional thing to do. Looking for some reading material? Every sound mixers rates vary, but remember your paying for skilled service. When Im doing super basic stuff, it usually comes out to $850950/day. The SAG Moderate Low Budget Agreement applies to films with budgets between $300,000 to $700,000. Oops! With built-in features like Quickbooks integration and automatic calculations of LA commercial IATSE and Teamster timecards, Wrapbook is constantly innovating to streamline entertainment payroll and maximize your productions efficiency. Gear is $700-$1200 per day. 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2021. (But dont try to tell some producers that. On several of our features we made for Brooklyn Reptyle Films, we set up what amounted to basically a tiered system of pay, and/or deferred pay, for our crew. Inspire2 fully loaded with two crew starts at $3k/day. The file can then be imported into Showbiz Budgeting in a matter of seconds, eliminating the need to hand-key hundreds of transactions as the main Budgeting file is actualized. You also will need to consider what you will pay if you shoot overtime. The first AD runs the entire set. In NYC for a very low budget scripted shoot (non-commercial) you are looking at $400-$650/12 for the Art Director and $225-$250 for the PA. Art PAs typically get paid a bit more than a regular PA because they need more experience than a set PA and their job is specific. Also remember that if youre expected to provide your own kit (such as camera, electrical, audio, or grip), you should charge extra for the rental. I usually dont have any trouble getting $650/day. Looking for some reading material? USA. Some producers cranking out bad movie after bad movie would rather burn through a production with a newbie crew and end up shooting more days and paying more in rentals than try to convince their investors or buyers that a higher-paid crew or even union crew makes more financial sense.). Like SAG rates, the DGA minimums are based on the budget of your project. Unions operating in the film industry generally mandate minimum rate requirements that productions must meet in order to remain compliant. Some commercials are shot over several weeks. Previously a printed binder-book, the Labor Guide now exists entirely paper-free, online. The Wrapbook Team consists of individuals who are thrilled about building modern software tools for creators. Told ya so, and attempt to reclassify your crew members as contractors, you might want to take a moment to read the fine print. HMUA here, my rates vary depending on the size of the project $550-$1050 per day. Download the updated rates. Including: DGA West Coast Optional cookies used to track website performance, preferences, and analytics. Youre seeing the word employee all over the place, and thats got you thinking Could there be a loophole here? In reality, what we commonly call day rates in the film industry are actually an estimation based on crew members hourly rates. Film crew members might have their own daily working rates and guidelines can be found on union websites. At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. Thank you! Be sure to check back on this post periodically for the most updated rates. will generally be paid at the top of the scale, while Production Assistants and other departmental assistants will be paid at the bottom. The taxable wage cap is subject to an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) each year based on increases in the national average wage index, calculated annually by the SSA. A project shooting with a micro-budget will generally have to pay lower minimum rates to cast and crew compared to a project shooting with the elevated financial backing of a major studio or network. Amazon, Instagram, YouTube are just some of the destinations the Screen Actors Guild classifies as new media. Whether youre making a film or series, they both fall under this agreement as long as your budget is between $50,000 and $1,000,000. Sign up for the Wrapbook monthly newsletter where we share industry news along with must-know guides for producers. When planning any production, minding your budget tier is a pivotal, ongoing task. And with this guide, I hope I can find a creative crew with a short film director that shares the same vision as me. Editor! Every negotiation will be different. Unlike the SAG rates for Class A, you have to pay slightly more if New York City is one of your cities, which is why most opt for the first agreement. Sign up for the Wrapbook monthly newsletter where we share industry news along with must-know guides for producers. In the eyes of the DGA, pilots get special treatment - DGA Rate Card 2022. These are all direct quotes from professionals in the industry. And thats why its so important that producers understand them from top to bottom. Its important to note that youll likely have to pay up to an additional 20.5% on your SAG payroll for health and benefits, called fringes. However, depending on the agreement, this percentage will fluctuate. If you want one from [name of a major VFX studio] they bill $5000 a day. On top of different rates within a given production, your personal film crew list may need to account for differing rates across different sizes and types of productions. Get the best resources for producers delivered to your mailbox. To learn more about how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy. At this point, you might be tempted to think that the flat rate vs. hourly rate debate is irrelevant. Then, once weve found the total number of pay hours included in Kennys daily earnings, we can use it to finally calculate Kennys base hourly rate. Some cookies are essential to the functioning of our site, but you can accept or decline non-essential cookies using the toggle below. It will surely wow my in-laws from abroad if I present to them something artistic and sentimental to commemorate the day. Many producers will ask a crew member to agree to a flat day rate, and many crew members, especially new or inexperienced crew, will often agree to it. Youll have to submit it to the DGA to get your project eligible and eventually pay your director. We will update this section accordingly. Need a run and gun production crew or videographer on location? WebMovie Production and Film Crew Pay Rates in the U.S. - Entertainment Partners THE PAYMASTER RATE GUIDE The industry's most comprehensive guide. AB-5 only applies to California, but contractors face similar worker classification tests in other states. Directing rates vary. If youre producing a film, then look no further than the DGA Theatrical agreement. The DGA rates for UPMs and ADs though vary whether its level 4A ( $3.75MM - $5.5MM) or 4B ($5.5MM - $8.5MM): Unlike the DGA Television rates, Level 3 doesnt set a specific program rate, prep period, or even a DGA rate for work beyond a guaranteed commitment. It depends on the type of shoot but for wardrobe: key is $5002k and $200400 for assistant(s) [sic]. Were a team of compassionate and curious people dedicated to solving complex problems with sophisticated solutions. Though that may be obvious, it carries an important implication. Under this agreement, those actors are allowed to work with a Taft-Hartley agreement, as with most SAG agreements. Well, if you care to ask a production accountant, theyll tell you that the difference is massive. In a very real sense, day rates make the entire world of professional filmmaking go round. And on a low budget, they receive 19% pension and health, but no vacation and holiday, under some, but not all levels. IATSE union rates West Coast and East Coast Agreements. The SAG day rate is $1,082, and $3,756 for the week. In essence, were paying Kenny for fourteen hours of work at his base hourly rate per day. Ive been working freelance gigs in Knoxville, TN for 2 years. These rates are from non-union freelance individuals that work primarily in commercials or narrative film. SAG Theatrical Rates apply to actors performing in films across a variety of budgets. 400600(ish) in my area for makeup. Originally Published Dec 19, 2017 @ 16:48. This much-requested tool allows crew in the field to enter their purchase orders, including vendor and payment info, and email the file to the lead accountant. (Who often end up costing the producer and the film more money due to their inexperience, slowness, and/or flat out ineptitude, relative to that of an experienced crew. Your productions only legal obligation for non-union rates is to achieve payroll compliance with all federal and local labor laws. It goes without saying that overtime can dramatically increase an employees earnings, a reality that significantly complicates the flat rate vs. hourly rate conversation. The weekly salary is 10% less than it would be on the basic DGA theatrical contract, also reflected in the compensation beyond guaranteed work and daily employment rate. Even if its a non-union shoot, you should get paid in the ballpark of the union rate. Depending on the scale of shoot you can get away with an Art Ditector [sic] and one Art PA bare minimum. Really depends on what kind of makeup is needed also. Unless, of course, youd prefer to handle payroll the easy way. Ten? Its interesting to know that film crew payments tend to be tiered. Tier 2 Art Director, 1st Assistant Camera, Asst. Most unions use a tier system to adjust rate scales according to production budget ranges. Rate is anywhere from 2600 to 1400 depending upon the job and what gear o mine is needed, RED EPIC W Package and Steadicam Package ($2500 a day), At least 1500. End of story. This is for companies with up to 25 employees. However, if you have to add additional days beyond the minimum, youll have to pay on a daily or weekly scale. My current rate for prod sound mixing is $650/day. If youre working with some actors who arent in the guild, dont worry. Unlike SAG rates, DGA rates are far more than just a set price for a week or day. DGA rates are the minimum amounts of money the Directors Guild of America will allow its members to work for on a given project. At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. Open the interactive PDF on Mac or Windows using Adobe Reader. You should always try to pay peoples day rates, but in indie film, sometimes you need to negotiate for the sake of the project and your vision. Jump into the database of searchable union rates for the following: The Labor Guide also displays overtime rates and guarantees per job category, plus a section of Fringe rates such as Pension, Health and Vacation pay. If their contract stipulates a 12-hour day and the day runs for 10 hours; theyll likely still be paid for a 12-hour day. For this reason, the DGA broke directing pilots out into its own category. However, its also important to communicate with your crew and ensure that youre operating with a mutual understanding. If youre making a studio flick, then chances are this is where youll find your DGA rates. Despite having three low budget options, the SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement only applies to films (and short films) that are $300,000 or less. The P&H rate for performers is 20.5%. Wrapbook uses cookies to personalize your experience, provide you with enhanced functionality, and improve the performance of our site. Last Updated. It includes union rates such as SAG, DGA, WGA, Local 399's, and dozens of other film unions. *2-5% budget. Your preferences have been updated. On top of that 12 hours you budget for, factor in about 10% contingency in case you go over that. The day rate norms in one region may shift in another, and going out of your way to establish a shared perspective early on may help your production team avoid any unnecessary conflict or confusion down the road. In Kennys case, we divide a rate of $350 by a pay hour total of fourteen. Kennys effective hourly rate is $25.00 per hour. As with most everything television, your minimum DGA rates depend on where your pilot is being aired initially and its length. This means the minimum hourly rate is between $28/hour and $30 respectively, with a minimum day On union productions, this will never be an issue, but it does pop up from time to time on non-union shoots. Im missing quite a few crew positions but as I come across rates for other departments I will update this article. Henri K. W. Rapp www.henrirapp.com. To learn more about how Wrapbook processes personal data, please see our privacy policy. It is possible that flat day rates may be applicable to contractors in certain situations because, by definition, contractors have greater flexibility in determining their method of payment. Since networks have been around television the longest, they have their own special rules and regulations. If youre booking a big name guest star in one episode, then in the eyes of SAG this is usually classified as a major role performer. Access detailed summaries of wages, fringe rates, schedules, and more - all from ratified agreements. If youre a cheap producer working with a crew youre paying a flat rate, with no time and a half or double time, then at the very least youll want money set aside to keep your crew from mutinying should you need to go long in those rare emergencies. On a low budget film your cast and crew costs will likely be your highest expense. Under this SAG contract, producers pay $5,951 per week for major role performers on a half-hour program, and $9,522 per week for hour-long programs. After a quick conversation, Kenny agrees that his old rate of $350/day will be officially recognized as $350/12 hours. Here is a quick breakdown of day rates per department. The SAG pay scale for Series Regulars on 1 hour shows functions exactly like 1/2 hours. Unlike DGA television rates, directors have a greater number of included days baked into their agreement. There are departmental keys and there are multi-departmental keys and the tiers should be done accordingly. Here are the 2023 SAG rates for performers in television. I know union assistants cant make less than $450/day, so use that as a guide. Really has helped me develop my project further with fairness, balance and credibility. Tier 1 Production Designer, Director of Photography, Principal Makeup, Line Producer, etc. But for non-union films, its a bit different. WebBare Bones Film Crew: 1 Camera Operator. $1500/10 DP rate w rig. Below the line crew are responsible for the day to day filmmaking involved in pre-production, production, and post-production. Traditionally, the Netcode was divided into either front of the book or back of the book rates where front of the book deals with either non-network or network non-primetime programs, (like soaps, game shows, award shows, or specials), while back of the book rates were often used for dramatic programs. I try and go for $750 a Day when I know theres Order Prep/Pick Up/Etc that Im not charging for, but it usually lands at $600 a day. See the specific agreements below. Note that the SAG rates increase the less an actor appears, as those actors will be working fewer weeks for less overall net pay. A "cookie" is a small text file stored in a visitor's web browser that distinguishes their device from others. Please note, most resources are only available to MEAA members and can only be viewed by signing in with your membership ID. Producers for documentaries, web, and reality TV will typically try to get much lower rates and sometimes long-term narrative TV or film projects will have a reduced rate. Beginning January 1, 2022, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is: 58.5 cents per mile driven for business use, Up 2.5 cents from the rate for 2021 What the inexperienced crew member might not realize is that labor laws dictate that for the first 8 hours of a shoot, shes supposed to be paid straight time, or for the first 40 hours she works in a week. Wild spots are used for products and services that only exist in certain citiesyou wouldnt air an In-N-Out commercial on the east coast.

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